Source: NC State News
A new study on attitudes toward abortion laws finds that the more people know about pregnancy, the more likely they are to oppose legislation that limits access to abortions, regardless of their political ideology.
The study surveyed 1,356 adults representative of the American population and included participants who identified as Democrats (43% of the survey), Republicans (38%) and independents (19%).
“We found that people who had a better understanding of pregnancy were more opposed to legislation restricting access to abortion,” Steven Greene, co-author of the study and a professor of political science at North Carolina State University said.
“People who knew what a trimester was and who knew how we count the weeks of a pregnancy – that it’s done dating back to a woman’s last period, rather than to conception – are more likely to oppose laws limiting women’s access to the full range of reproductive health care options,” he continued.
The study also found that 12-week abortion bans, like the one passed by Republicans in North Carolina last summer, are just as unpopular as six-week abortion bans are.
“This suggests that efforts by some politicians to promote 12-week bans as a moderate, or compromise, position are likely not effective,” Greene said.
The study suggests that investing in basic sex education for the public may help build support for access to abortion.
